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Glanders

Glanders is a contagious and fatal disease of horses, donkeys, and mules, caused by infection with the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. The pathogen causes nodules and ulcerations in the upper respiratory tract and lungs. A skin form also occurs, known as ‘farcy’. Control of glanders requires testing of suspect clinical cases, screening of apparently normal equids, and elimination of reactors. As B. mallei can be transmitted to humans, all infected or contaminated (or potentially infected or contaminated) material must be handled in a laboratory with appropriate biosafety and biosecurity controls following a biorisk analysis. Identification of the agent: Smears from fresh material may reveal Gram-negative nonsporulating, nonencapsulated rods. The presence of a capsule-like cover has been demonstrated by electron microscopy. The bacteria grow aerobically and prefer media that contain glycerol. Unlike the Pseudomonas species and the closely related bacterium B. pseudomallei, B. mallei is nonmotile. Commercially available biochemical identification kits lack diagnostic sensitivity. Specific monoclonal antibodies and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as well as real-time PCR assays are available. Serological tests: CFT is an accurate and reliable serological method for diagnostic use. Enzymelinked immunosorbent assays show promise once their validation is complete. A rose bengal plate agglutination test has been developed. The immunoblot test based on a crude formalin preparation of B. mallei antigens from isolates of different geographical regions is also a sensitive and specific assay. Mallein test: The mallein test is a hypersensitivity test against B. mallei. The test is not generally recommended because of animal welfare concerns, however it can be useful in remote endemic areas where sample transport or proper cooling of samples is not possible. Mallein, a water soluble protein fraction of the organism, is injected intradermo-palpebrally. In infected animals, the eyelid swells markedly within 1–2 days. Requirements for vaccines and diagnostic biologicals: There are no vaccines. Mallein purified protein derivative is currently available commercially.

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